A Queen Without Power (Once Upon a Time; Regina/Emma)
TITLE: A Queen Without Power
CHAPTER 8: Soon
FANDOM: Once Upon a Time
PAIRING: Swan Queen (Regina/Emma)
SPOILERS: Season one (in its entirety)
RATING: PG (for now)
SUMMARY: She felt Regina’s heartbeat though they weren’t pressed very close. She felt the uncertainty hit the queen just as it had hit her split-seconds before. And she felt the minuscule tingling of her scalp as Regina’s hand just barely glanced through her curls.
*****
“Dead?” She couldn’t help the shocked whisper that escaped. “You think she would actually kill Regina?”
James sighed, dipping his head. “She and Regina have... a very complicated past.” He met her eyes again. “Surely you know that.”
“I do, but,” she tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “But I don’t.”
He glanced into the kitchen, and Emma watched him exchange a look with Snow White. When she smiled curiously at him, he turned away. “Now is not the time to explain, I’m afraid,” he told her.
Emma shook her head. “When is?”
“Soon. I fear I may shortly need your help, my daughter.” There was a glint of desperation in his eyes. “Your mother has a thirst for blood -- for Regina’s blood -- and I don’t know how to get her to back down.”
“I’ll help you,” she promised without thought.
He looked almost relieved. A bright smile broke forth and he grabbed for her hands, kissing her knuckles. “I knew you would. Thank you.” Releasing her, he shook his head and seemed to correct himself. “I’m not fond of Regina by any means, but I also don’t wish for Snow to stoop to her level. Besides, it’s high time this feud between them come to an end. Seems that ever since Daniel--”
“Daniel?” Emma furrowed her brows. “Who’s Daniel?”
The prince opened his mouth to fill her in, but that was when Henry interrupted. “Hey guys, there’s cocoa here for you too!”
Emma spotted Henry and Snow coming toward them, cups of cocoa in-hand, and she quickly turned back to James, whispering, “Soon.”
He nodded subtly, and that was that.
**
“So what were you and Prince Charming talking about?” Henry asked, on the way back to the mayor’s estate.
Emma glimpsed at him before turning her eyes back to the road, wondering just how much information she could trust him with. “Just... stuff.” Then she almost made a face at herself. She used to be so much better at hiding things from him.
“What stuff?”
She sighed. “What were you talking about with Sn--” She interrupted herself and shook her head, “With your grandmother?”
“Weird calling her that, huh?” Henry smirked.
“You got that right.”
Then in answer to her question, he shrugged. “She was asking me things about the book. About how I knew everybody here was cursed.”
At that, Emma couldn’t help but frown. “That’s right, she gave you that book.” After a moment, she turned to look at him. “How did you know the whole town was cursed?”
“It just fit,” he said. “There’s been so much weird stuff going on here since I was little.”
“Really?” She arched an eyebrow. “Before I got to town, didn’t seem like much of anything happened around here.”
“That’s just it,” he told her. “Everything was too normal. Too quiet. There were so many things that never made sense. Like I remember how I met almost everybody here. But they could never remember how they met each other. We didn’t have any crickets here. Time stood still!”
At that, she gave him a look -- half-smirk, half-skepticism. “Come on, I think you know that time was never ‘frozen.’ You’ve gotten bigger. Older.” Turning her eyes back to the road, she raised her brows and commented under her breath, “I definitely would’ve remembered carrying a ten-year-old around in my uterus.”
“But we were never part of the original curse. Everybody else was, and none of them ever got any older.”
That remark gave her pause. She pulled into the driveway at Regina’s and cut the engine, turning to her son. “So now that the curse is broken, are they all gonna get old?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. But I bet she does.” He gestured toward the house.
**
“You’re back.” Regina greeted, her tone stoic and face drawn. She stopped just in front of them in the foyer, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you find out anything?”
Emma made a face, momentarily confused.
Regina raised her eyebrows, eyes widening slightly in disbelief as she leaned forward, arms still across her chest. “About the meeting, Miss Swan.”
“Oh.” Apparently she was done with the whole ‘no formalities’ thing. “I, uh... I started to. I got a little sidetracked.”
Regina pursed her lips, eyes narrowing sharply for just a second before she intoned slowly, “Well need I remind you that time is of the essence here? What could you have possibly been discussing that was so important?”
Emma took a step forward, accepting the silent challenge as she asked of Regina, “Who’s Daniel?” and then watched her falter in her steps.
She just stared for a moment, eyes large. When her voice emerged, it was a dangerous whisper. “Where did you hear that name?”
But Emma’s sharp gaze never wavered. “Guess.”
“Hey, stop! Stop it.”
Both women glanced down, each of them almost startled by the reminder that they were not the only two people in the room, as Henry physically put himself between them.
He looked up at Emma first. “You told me in the car that I should be nicer to Regina. Because she’s my mom and because she loves me.”
Regina gaped at him a moment before looking up to Emma in surprise. “You said that?”
Emma just barely nodded before Henry broke in again.
“So that means that you have to be nice to each other, too. So no more fighting. Okay?”
They exchanged another look, neither one of them particularly thrilled with the prospect, but still they each sighed and looked down to Henry, murmuring their agreement.
“Alright.”
“You’ve got a point, kid.”
He smiled, proud of himself. “Good.”
He stepped forward and hugged Emma, his arms around her midsection. She ran a hand through his hair before he stepped back. Then, he went to Regina. The hug he gave her was a bit more tentative... almost unsure... and for a moment Regina looked as though something miraculous had happened.
Emma watched the smile come to her face, her eyes blinking in quick succession to ward off tears as she hugged her son. It was over almost as soon as it had begun, and then he looked back and forth between them once again.
“Now you.”
Their heads whipped up in unison, eyes locking in almost twin alarmed expressions. Emma chuckled uneasily, glancing down at Henry. “Uhh, what?”
His expression was guileless as he blinked up at her and reasoned, “You need to be nice to each other. So start with a hug.”
They looked up at each other again, each uncomfortable with the implied proximity of a hug. After a moment, Regina plastered on an indulgent smile and murmured, “Fine.”
Emma nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” And she stepped forward.
Tentatively, the two adversaries wrapped their arms around one another, Emma’s sliding under Regina’s and around her back, while Regina’s wound up around her shoulders. And for a moment, Emma was awash with the strangest sensation -- almost as if time slowed briefly, while an unusual warmth spread through her chest. She felt herself frowning curiously, uncertain of what was happening.
She felt Regina’s heartbeat though they weren’t pressed very close. She felt the uncertainty hit the queen just as it had hit her split-seconds before. And she felt the minuscule tingling of her scalp as Regina’s hand just barely glanced through her curls. She was pulling away. So Emma let her hands fall away, still silently questioning every sensation.
They each took a step back and met eyes. She tried to discern Regina’s expression, which she thought came across as slightly shaken. Their eyes flitted away from one another and Regina crooked a brow while asking of the boy, “Will that be sufficient?”
Henry made a face, but shrugged one shoulder. “I guess.”
“Good.” And then she marched away before another word was spoken.
Emma just watched her go, eyes trained on her retreat into the study. She felt the last vestiges of warmth slipping away, leaving her chilled and wondering what just happened.
TBC
{x-posted to onceupon_fanfic and regina_emma}
CHAPTER 8: Soon
FANDOM: Once Upon a Time
PAIRING: Swan Queen (Regina/Emma)
SPOILERS: Season one (in its entirety)
RATING: PG (for now)
SUMMARY: She felt Regina’s heartbeat though they weren’t pressed very close. She felt the uncertainty hit the queen just as it had hit her split-seconds before. And she felt the minuscule tingling of her scalp as Regina’s hand just barely glanced through her curls.
*****
“Dead?” She couldn’t help the shocked whisper that escaped. “You think she would actually kill Regina?”
James sighed, dipping his head. “She and Regina have... a very complicated past.” He met her eyes again. “Surely you know that.”
“I do, but,” she tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “But I don’t.”
He glanced into the kitchen, and Emma watched him exchange a look with Snow White. When she smiled curiously at him, he turned away. “Now is not the time to explain, I’m afraid,” he told her.
Emma shook her head. “When is?”
“Soon. I fear I may shortly need your help, my daughter.” There was a glint of desperation in his eyes. “Your mother has a thirst for blood -- for Regina’s blood -- and I don’t know how to get her to back down.”
“I’ll help you,” she promised without thought.
He looked almost relieved. A bright smile broke forth and he grabbed for her hands, kissing her knuckles. “I knew you would. Thank you.” Releasing her, he shook his head and seemed to correct himself. “I’m not fond of Regina by any means, but I also don’t wish for Snow to stoop to her level. Besides, it’s high time this feud between them come to an end. Seems that ever since Daniel--”
“Daniel?” Emma furrowed her brows. “Who’s Daniel?”
The prince opened his mouth to fill her in, but that was when Henry interrupted. “Hey guys, there’s cocoa here for you too!”
Emma spotted Henry and Snow coming toward them, cups of cocoa in-hand, and she quickly turned back to James, whispering, “Soon.”
He nodded subtly, and that was that.
**
“So what were you and Prince Charming talking about?” Henry asked, on the way back to the mayor’s estate.
Emma glimpsed at him before turning her eyes back to the road, wondering just how much information she could trust him with. “Just... stuff.” Then she almost made a face at herself. She used to be so much better at hiding things from him.
“What stuff?”
She sighed. “What were you talking about with Sn--” She interrupted herself and shook her head, “With your grandmother?”
“Weird calling her that, huh?” Henry smirked.
“You got that right.”
Then in answer to her question, he shrugged. “She was asking me things about the book. About how I knew everybody here was cursed.”
At that, Emma couldn’t help but frown. “That’s right, she gave you that book.” After a moment, she turned to look at him. “How did you know the whole town was cursed?”
“It just fit,” he said. “There’s been so much weird stuff going on here since I was little.”
“Really?” She arched an eyebrow. “Before I got to town, didn’t seem like much of anything happened around here.”
“That’s just it,” he told her. “Everything was too normal. Too quiet. There were so many things that never made sense. Like I remember how I met almost everybody here. But they could never remember how they met each other. We didn’t have any crickets here. Time stood still!”
At that, she gave him a look -- half-smirk, half-skepticism. “Come on, I think you know that time was never ‘frozen.’ You’ve gotten bigger. Older.” Turning her eyes back to the road, she raised her brows and commented under her breath, “I definitely would’ve remembered carrying a ten-year-old around in my uterus.”
“But we were never part of the original curse. Everybody else was, and none of them ever got any older.”
That remark gave her pause. She pulled into the driveway at Regina’s and cut the engine, turning to her son. “So now that the curse is broken, are they all gonna get old?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. But I bet she does.” He gestured toward the house.
**
“You’re back.” Regina greeted, her tone stoic and face drawn. She stopped just in front of them in the foyer, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you find out anything?”
Emma made a face, momentarily confused.
Regina raised her eyebrows, eyes widening slightly in disbelief as she leaned forward, arms still across her chest. “About the meeting, Miss Swan.”
“Oh.” Apparently she was done with the whole ‘no formalities’ thing. “I, uh... I started to. I got a little sidetracked.”
Regina pursed her lips, eyes narrowing sharply for just a second before she intoned slowly, “Well need I remind you that time is of the essence here? What could you have possibly been discussing that was so important?”
Emma took a step forward, accepting the silent challenge as she asked of Regina, “Who’s Daniel?” and then watched her falter in her steps.
She just stared for a moment, eyes large. When her voice emerged, it was a dangerous whisper. “Where did you hear that name?”
But Emma’s sharp gaze never wavered. “Guess.”
“Hey, stop! Stop it.”
Both women glanced down, each of them almost startled by the reminder that they were not the only two people in the room, as Henry physically put himself between them.
He looked up at Emma first. “You told me in the car that I should be nicer to Regina. Because she’s my mom and because she loves me.”
Regina gaped at him a moment before looking up to Emma in surprise. “You said that?”
Emma just barely nodded before Henry broke in again.
“So that means that you have to be nice to each other, too. So no more fighting. Okay?”
They exchanged another look, neither one of them particularly thrilled with the prospect, but still they each sighed and looked down to Henry, murmuring their agreement.
“Alright.”
“You’ve got a point, kid.”
He smiled, proud of himself. “Good.”
He stepped forward and hugged Emma, his arms around her midsection. She ran a hand through his hair before he stepped back. Then, he went to Regina. The hug he gave her was a bit more tentative... almost unsure... and for a moment Regina looked as though something miraculous had happened.
Emma watched the smile come to her face, her eyes blinking in quick succession to ward off tears as she hugged her son. It was over almost as soon as it had begun, and then he looked back and forth between them once again.
“Now you.”
Their heads whipped up in unison, eyes locking in almost twin alarmed expressions. Emma chuckled uneasily, glancing down at Henry. “Uhh, what?”
His expression was guileless as he blinked up at her and reasoned, “You need to be nice to each other. So start with a hug.”
They looked up at each other again, each uncomfortable with the implied proximity of a hug. After a moment, Regina plastered on an indulgent smile and murmured, “Fine.”
Emma nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” And she stepped forward.
Tentatively, the two adversaries wrapped their arms around one another, Emma’s sliding under Regina’s and around her back, while Regina’s wound up around her shoulders. And for a moment, Emma was awash with the strangest sensation -- almost as if time slowed briefly, while an unusual warmth spread through her chest. She felt herself frowning curiously, uncertain of what was happening.
She felt Regina’s heartbeat though they weren’t pressed very close. She felt the uncertainty hit the queen just as it had hit her split-seconds before. And she felt the minuscule tingling of her scalp as Regina’s hand just barely glanced through her curls. She was pulling away. So Emma let her hands fall away, still silently questioning every sensation.
They each took a step back and met eyes. She tried to discern Regina’s expression, which she thought came across as slightly shaken. Their eyes flitted away from one another and Regina crooked a brow while asking of the boy, “Will that be sufficient?”
Henry made a face, but shrugged one shoulder. “I guess.”
“Good.” And then she marched away before another word was spoken.
Emma just watched her go, eyes trained on her retreat into the study. She felt the last vestiges of warmth slipping away, leaving her chilled and wondering what just happened.
TBC
{x-posted to onceupon_fanfic and regina_emma}